Electric calendar



R. J. SHARPE ET AL ELEGTRI C CALENDAR Filed Jan. 31, 1954 I5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 26, 1935.

Feb. 26, 1935. R J SHARP: ET AL 1,992,508

ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed Jan. 51, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORS.

6 a BY W ATTORNEY.

Feb. 26, 1935. R. J. SHARPE El AL ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed Jan. 51. 1954 3 Sheets-Shet 3 INVENTORS. I

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 26, 1935.

omrso STATES FATE :r eerie-E holin, Minn assigii'ors of one-third to Hjalma-r Paulson, ehi's-liolm, Minn.

Application January 31,

Claims.

This invention relates to' electric circuitsfor automatically operated calendars. I

one important object of the invention is to provide simple automatic e1ectricaily' controlled 5 mechanism to compensate for months of difierent lengths during a year, and for lea years.

Other objects and advantageswiu appear in the further description of the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like arts:

Figure 1 is a combined wiring diagram and schematic View of one embodiment of the inventioh.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the year dial for control or the month indicating circuit.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-'--3 of Figure 1 of the ratchet joints intermediate or the clay and date shaft, and between the auxiliary motor and date shaft.

Figure 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the contactsand spacings of a portion of the year dial.

Figure 5 is a furtner lan view, partly in sec tion, of the exhibitor. mechanism, showing the direct relation of the motors thereto Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the alternately o erable contacts of which there are two pairs associated with the exhibitor shafts;

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram of a modified circuit for operating the device.

our present invention relates to that type of periodically driven calendar such as illustrated in our copending application, Serial Number F53 601,618, and in which either an endless tape, "drum or disc, form of exhibitors may be employed, and io'r convenience of illustration in our pres ent application we hate shown the tape form as being operated about suitable rollers.

The periodic device, in this instance, is illus trated as a clock mechanism, indicated at 1, and the tape operating rollers which control the "ex-'- hib'i'tor means are illustrated at 2, 3' and 4, they being designed to represent the day of the week, is the date of the month, and "the month, respectively.

=One novel feature of the present invention is that the day and "date exhibitor means are rop erated in conjunction and simultaneously part I) of the time, independently at other times to compensate for short and longrnonths and leap years.

Another novel feature of the invention is that the three different exhibitor means may be -each L -.3, operated by a separate and independent motor,

1934,. Serial No. 709,203

(or. m 111 those at present employed for such purpose being synchronous self starting clock motors, common in the art.

The alternating current power circuit source for operating the device illustrated at 6' and 7, and which may or may not actuate the periodic device'or clock as preferred, and depending'upon the use to which the invention is put.- However we have illustrated in conjunction with the clock the rotary switch disc 8 mounted upon the shaft 9 and which shaft in this instance is so connected and operated by the clock as to rotate. once in every 48 hours. This disc 8 is provided with two contact points 10 and 11, adjacent the peripheral edge thereof and with a brush contact illustrated at 12 which is common to both of the contacts 10 and 11, From the contact 12 the wire 13 leads to the day and date operating motor 14, the opposite side 15 of which is connected to the wired of the power line. Straddling oneside of. the'disc 8 is the insulated contact support 16 carrying the opposed reciprocal contact pins 1'? and '18, each engaging and being held in place by a spring member 19 the fixed'ends of which are each held against the support 16 as by a suitable screw '20 which forms a connection for the wires 21and 22 leading therefrom to alternately operated switches 23 and 24, which latter are controlled by the rotation of the day of the week exhibitor shaft 25.

Now it is to be understood that the shaft 25 is connected to and operated by the day and date motor 14, as more clearly illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. It is apparent that as the contact disc 8 is operatively connected with the clock so that it makes one revolution in 48 hours it will close one or the other of the circuits to the day and date motor every 24 hours. The drum 2 for operating the exhibitor is illustrated as being mounted directly upon the operating shaft 25, and its relation to the exhibitor means, in this instance shown as being a tape 61, "is such that the days of the week are progressively exhibited at each half revolution of said shaft randzdrurn.

The shaft 25 is connected to and operates the shaft 27 which carries the date exhibitor o'perat- I ing drum 3,"such connection of thetwo shafts, however, being of the rover-running clutch type, :as clearly illustrated in Figure 3, the ring ,28'rbeing carried by and fixed to the shaft '25, while the double eccentric ratchet 29 is fixed to the shaft 27, thus when the shaft 25 and its ring '27 are traveling in a clockwise direction, the :spring iconitroll'ed ,rpawls .30 will function in carrying the cam '29 with the shaft :27 :andwda'te drum 3 therewith.

This, however, provides means whereby the (date example, as by the worm 31 and worm wheel 32,

to the shaft 33 upon which is fixed the year dial 34; the shaft 33 also being connected to and driving as by the properly ratioed spur gears, the leap year disc 35, so that normally at each onehalf rotation of the shaft 27 the year dial moves 1/372 of a rotation, as obviously it must move in step with the date tape which must be capable of exhibiting the maximum of thirty-one days in any month, thus necessitating the year dial being divided into twelve months of 31 days or spaces each. For convenience of illustration we have shown the year dial as having three separate, radially spaced, circumferential series of contacts for opening and closing the circuit to the month motor36 and the auxiliary motor 37; this being more clearly illustratedin Figure 4 of the drawings wherein the spacings and relative location of the contacts is clearly'shown.

36 represents the month motor which progressively operates the vmonth exhibitor roller 4, it having associated'therewith, as upon the shaft 38, a pair of alternately operated switches 39 and 60, similar in all respects to the switches 24 and 23 associated with the day-exhibitor means, and which switches function as a secondary control for the motor 36; its primary control being ascomplished by association with the contacts on the, year dial. The'control wires from the motor 36 to the dial are illustrated, at 40, 41 and 42, while the connection beyond the dial is that of the wire 7, and beyond the motor that of the wire 6.

The, auxiliary motor-37 is connected as by the wire 43 on one side to the main line 6 and on the opposite side by the wire 44 through an adjustable contact shoe 45 to the leap year disc 35, the opposite side of said disc being connected as by the'wire 46 to the year dial'where it is engaged by the outermost circumferential series of contacts on said dial. The wires 41 and 42 for control of the month motorare associated with the intermediate and innermost series of circumferential contacts on thexyear dial.

It. will be noted by. viewing Figure 2 of the drawings that the monthsof April, June, September, November and February, as indicated on the year dial, each carryv two, contact points thereon; whereas the months of March, May, July,'August, October and December and January, each carry but a singlecontact point on the dial. Also it will-be apparent that the wire 46 which indirectly controls the auxiliary motor engages only the outermost series of contacts on the year. dial, while the wire 41 engages only the intermediate series of contacts, and the wire 42 only the innermost series of contacts; the hub contact 47 of the dial being common to all of the circumferential contacts and connected with the wire 7 of the power circuit. I

The alternately operated switches shown in connection with both the day exhibitor and the month exhibitor areaccomplished by installation of a pair of eccentrics upon the exhibitor shaft; for this explanation, say the shaft 25(see Fig. 6.) The eccentrics are illustrated at 48 and 49,

their maximum and minimum diameters being directly oppositeso that the contact pin 50 of one switch is completely depressed forcing the spring contacts 51 and 52 together while the like pin on the opposite switch is fully retarded, al-- lowing the like spring contacts to separate ready for the subsequent functioning of the contact disc 8, previously described, and while such illustration is shown for convenience in tracing the operation of the device it is apparent that other forms of accomplishing a similar alternate switching of the circuit may be resorted to.

Having thus described the various elements and their cooperative relation necessary to function properly, we will now proceed to describe: one cycle of operation of the device; and for' which purpose we will assume that the mechanism isproperly set with the exhibitors showing Monday, the 1st day of January of any year immediately prior to a leap year, and that the clock is in motion, rotating the disc 8, as previously described, once in 48 hours. The contacts 10 and 11 being so arranged in relation to the clock mechanism, that one or the other will contact either pin 17 or 18 at midnight of each 24 hour period and thus complete the circuit including the wire 21 to the switch 24, held closed by previous action of the shaft 25, thus completing one of the circuits to the day and date motor which will causesaid motor to function in rotating the shaft 25 a half revolution at which time theswitch 24 will be opened, breaking the circuit, stopping the motor and stopping the rotation of the shaft 25, and closing the switch 23 by action of eccentric 49, ready for subsequent action of the motor. During this half rotation of the shaft 25 the day exhibitor is changed to Tuesday, together with the date exhibitor being changed to the 2nd, and through the action of the worm 31 and worm Wheel 32 the shaft 33 of the year dial will be rotated one step of the 31 steps indicated on the dial for each month; and also the leap year disc will be moved one step, it obviously rotating but once in four years. This operation is repeated at midnight of each day until the 31st of the month is reached.

W'hen, however, midnight of the 31st arrives, it will'be noted that by virtue of the contact associated with the wire 41 engaging the interme diate series of contacts, engaging that contact opposite the first day of February, and closing that side of the circuit to the month motor 36 causing it to function in rotating the month drum4 a one-half revolution, thus bringing the month of February into view on the exhibitor, While by reason of the cam action upon the twin switches 39 and 60 the circuit to themotor is opened and the motor stopped. Now the respective daysand their corresponding dates'of the month will be consecutively exhibited all during the month of February, exactly as previously described for the month of January, until the contacts opposite the month of February in the outer and intermediate series of contacts reaches and engages the terminals of the wires 46 and 41.

Now these contacts are positioned so that they will be reached at midnight of the 28th of February, to normally again close the circuit to the month motor 36 advancing the month exhibitor as previously described to indicate the succeeding month of March. Simultaneously with this change in the month exhibitor, it will be noted that the circuit 43, 44 and 46 of the auxiliary motor will be closed by virtue of the contact at the dial terminal of the wire 46 engaging the contact 54 in the outermost series of contacts on the dial, which'contact covers the three spaces of the dial from the 28th to the 31st, and which closes the circuit to the auxiliary motor. As

closed untilthe further rotation. of the year dial has separated same, and thus stopping. the motor, so that at: thesubsequent functioning of. the mechanism. the day, date and month exhibitors will be correct.

I The. mechanism then. continues to. function for the-3L days-of. March, or until. the contact for the 'month. of: Apriluin the intermediate series of contacts. functions in conjunction. with the wire 41-, thus, closingthe opposite side of the circuit .totheihohth motor, which, will again advance thez'month exhibitor. drum a' half turn, bringing April into view.

' "Nowthe proper consecutive showings forthe months of April commences, and, it being a thirty day month; a repetition. of the action just describedwill continue until. engagementofthe contacts on the. outer and. intermediate series of contacts on. the. .dialwill function in: connection with: the: circuit wires 41 and 46, such contacts occurring on the 30th. spaoingon the dial opposite. thee-month ofApril so that the auxiliary motor is again caused to. function. in advancing thewdate exhibitor one step beyond the day exhibitor shaft. During. this action, when the date exhibitor ismoved; from the 31st to the 1st, the month motor will move the month exhibit-or to "showthe monthof May; and thus the. calendar actions ofthe'day, date, and year mechanisms,

thus bringing intov action the interrupter 55. on

theleap year disc, and this being timed to occur on the 28th day of February each leap year hold said.- circuit open and prevent action of the auxiliary motor until midnight of the 29th, thus leaving the date exhibitor showing the 29th, which compensates for the extra day in leap. year; but at midnight of the 29th the'circuit to the auxiliary motor is closed which car- Iiesv the date. exhibitor from the 29th to the 1st.

In the modified; circuit shown in Frguie '7 there is illustrated four switch controlling cams, the

ones shown at 63 and 64 being mounted upon a shaft '65 operated by the day and date mechanismand the auxiliary motor, and which shaft 65, rotates once a month, and the cam 66 is illustrated as mounted upon the shaft -67-driven by the month motor and which motor indirectly operates the leap year disc 68 which is mounted upon the shaft 69 and by any desired arrangementof gearing is caused to rotate one revolution to every four revolutions of the year disc 6S.

Now the principal object of this somewhat simplified circuit is to. insure positive non-sparking action of the contacts and to overcome the necessity of critical spacing of the electric contacts, together with the convenience of setting, adjusting, or repairing different units of the mechanism eparately.

commence. w the eoielie wi 9 At this point the circuit will be trolling discs 63. and 66, the formerbeingto compensate for long. andshort monthsin controlling the date tape, and. the latter.v for the. short months in. controlling. the month tape, wehave illustrated series ofsnapspring. switches, that series. in connection with "the discv 63- being illustratedat .70 and: that in: connection with the'disc 66 being illustrated at '71. Like, snap spring switches are illustrated at 72 in conjunction with-.the disc 64,

and at 73. in connection with. the leap year. disc 68; these. latter. being. similar to the switches controlled by. the. date exhibitor. meanspreviously described, except that butone. such switch, 74, is employed in connection with themonth exhibitor shaft 75. The day exhibitor shaft is illustrated at 76, and the periodic clock controlled switch at 7-7 which may be. identical with that illustrated in Figure, 1 of the drawings, and. the two 'sides of the main electric circuit are shown at 78 and 79, and theoperating motors at 80, 81 and 82.

The regular daily. operation of this modified device is substantially identical with that illus trated in the other figures and onmidnight of each day, the periodic switch 7'7 is thrown com pleting the circuit through switches 83 or 8.4. to the day and date motor 80 causing it to. operate and move theday and date tapes: As the. cams 85 and 36 are directly connected to the driving drum shaft'76 of the day tape, themovement of-the day. driving drum shaft will move the cams '1 approximately 180 so as to open the completed circuit to. the day and. date motor and close its associated switch preparatory to. the following days operation. This operation is repeated daily. .As thev day. and date exhibitors are me:- chanically connected by means of: an over-running. clutch, such as illustrated at '28. in the previously described circuit, each daily ope'rationoi' the day and date motor will advance-each exhibitor one step.

During the short month of February, the regular day to day operation will function until midnight of the 28th, is reached. At this time the pin 87, will drop into the notch 88 closing spring switch 89. supplying current through leap year switch 73 which is normally closed, and the current then flows through contact springs 90 and 91, which are closed by reason of the pin 92 hen being in the. February-notch in year dies t e a xil a met-O au ng i w nerate and drive the date exhibitor and its associated date discs 63and 6.4 until the l st is reached. 7 w opened by the action of the switch 72 controlled by thedate w err-@ 01 c h i the notch 94 and causing the auxiliary motor 81 to cease functioning. 'Ifhus the date is changed from the 23th to. the 1st. This action will take place on each February, excepting leap years On February of leap years, the regularv day to day operation will take placev until midnight of the 28th, at which time. contact 89Iwill'be c1osed by reasonof the. pin 8'7, dropping into notch 88 supplying current to the leap year switch 73 but as this switch is then opened. by reason of the cam 68., driven by a 'fourto.-.one' ratio of gears from the month disc shaft 67 no auxiliary motor action will take place until midnight of the ZS Jth when the regular. daily operation will have caused the, pin 87 to drop into notch 9.5 closing contact spring 96., supplying current thrOug-h' contact springs 90. and 9.1 which are closed since pin 2 i ete F u r no h. n aux a m r 81 completing the circuit thereto, and causing it e? tar s. and dr v the d t xhl jb' eriee its dropping into associated date disc 63 for asufficient distance to change the date exhibitor from the 29th to the 1st. At this point the circuit will be opened by the action of the switch -72 controlled by the date disc 64, as previously described, causing the auxiliary motor 81 to cease operation.

During thirty-day months, the regular day to day operation will take place as previously described until midnight of the 30th is reached.

At this time, the regular daily operation will function causing a movement'of the date disc-63 causing pin 87 to drop into the notch 97 closing spring switch 98 thus supplying current to spring switches 99 and 91 which are closed by reason of pin 92 having dropped into: one of the notches on the disc 66, other than the February notch,

which is deeper than the others; Current then day months, during the regular day'to day operation,.pin' 87 drops successively into notches 88 and without thereby closing any separate circuit' due to the other switches associated there.-

with being open.

To change. the month exhibitor, the regular daily operation will function moving the date disc 64 associated with the date exhibitor until the pin 93, at approximately six degrees prior to the termination of each'cycle of thedisc, engages with and is raised by cam 101 when the contact will be closed completing thecircuit to the month motor 82, causing it to operate. The month motor moves its exhibitor with its associated month contact disc 66 and cam 102 which is directly connected to the driving drum shaft '75 of the month exhibitor. Current to the month motor is then'supplied through contact 100 until the circuit is'broken on the 1st of the month by action of the switch '72 on the disc 64.

During this operation, cam 102 has been moved sufliciently to close switch '74 which in turn also feeds current to the month motor '82 until it has driven the month exhibitor a sufiiicent distance to display the name of the following month. Cam 102 has then moved approximately opening switch '74 and causing the month motor to cease operating;

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure byLettersPatent, is: 1. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the day of the week, the date of the month, and the month, means for imparting a coordinated step-by-step movement of said'exhibitor means, means whereby the day of the week exhibitor cannot move without the date of the month exhibitor being moved simultaneously therewith,

said last mentioned means permitting independassociated with the-periodic device for causing the operating means tofunction, and means associated with the day-of the week exhibitor for causing the operating means to cease functioning.

3. Ina changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the day of the week and date of the month,.electrically operated means for moving said exhibitor means, switch means associated with the periodic device for causing the operating means to function, and switch means associated with one of said exhibitors for causing the operating means to cease functioning.

4. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the day of the week and date of the month, cooperatively associated shafts upon which said exhibitor means operate, single means for intermittently operating said exhibitor means means upon said shafts permitting the date ofthe month exhibitor to move independently of the day of the week exhibitor to compensate for short months and leap years, and means for moving the date .of the month exhibitor independently.

6. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic'device and which includes exhibitormeans for indicating the day of the week, date of the month, and month, electrically operated means for moving said exhibitor means, means for starting and means for stopping said operating'means, and means permitting and auxiliary operating means for moving the date of the monthexhibitor independently of the day of the week exhibitor.

P7. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the date of the month and the month, operating means for imparting a step-by-step movement of said exhibitor means, switch meansassociatedwith the date of the month exhibitor means for causing the month operatingmeans to functhe date of the month and the month, operating means for moving said exhibitors, auxiliary operating means for moving the date exhibitor to compensate for short months, "means associated with the date of the month and the month exhibitor means to cause the auxiliary operating means to function, and means associated with the date exhibitor means to cause theauxiliary operating means to cease functioning.

9. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the date'of the month and the month, means for operating said exhibitors, leap year compensating means mechanically operable by the date of the month exhibitor, switch means associated with said compensating means and connected with said operating .means for regulating said exhibitors to compensate for leap years.

10. An electric circuit for control of an automatic calendar actuated by a periodic device and including a source of electric energy, day exhibitor means, date exhibitor means, and month exhibitor means, independent motors for operating each of said exhibitors, means to compensate for long and short months operated by the day and date means, means to compensate for leap years operated by the month means, switch means actuated by the periodic device for starting one of said motors and means actuated by the day exhibitor means for stopping said last mentioned motor.

11. In a changeable exhibitorof the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes exhibitor means for indicating the day of the week, operating means for moving said exhibitors, switch means associated with said periodic device for causing said operating means to function, and switch means associated with said exhibitor means to cause said operating means to cease functioning.

REGINALD J. SHARPE.

EDWARD PEKONEN. 

